The American Medical Association (AMA) released the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set for 2024. According to the AMA, the CPT coding system offers doctors nationwide a uniform process for coding medical services. Generally, this system streamlines reporting and increases accuracy and efficiency.
This code set is regularly updated to reflect advancements in medical technology, procedures, and practices. Therefore, the medical community must gear up for these changes to learn how to properly code the services rendered.
Overall, the 2024 CPT code set includes 349 editorial changes, including 225 additions, 75 deletions, and 93 revisions.
Here is a summary of highlights for the 2024 CPT code set:
COVID-19 immunizations
The AMA consolidated over 50 previous codes to streamline the reporting of immunizations for COVID-19. The CPT Editorial Panel approved the addition of new product codes 91318-91322 to:
- Identify monovalent vaccine product for immunization against COVID-19 (Pfizer, Moderna)
- Retain existing Novavax Product Code 91304 for currently authorized vaccine products available for use in the U.S. and the updated one (XBB.1.5)
- Deletion and/or revision of all other existing COVID codes (product and administration with associated guidelines and parenthetical note deletions/revisions)
- Addition of a single administration code (90480) for the administration of new (I.e., 91318-91322) and existing (I.e., 91304) COVID-19 vaccine products
Also, a new vaccine administration code (90480) was approved for reporting the administration of any COVID-19 vaccine for any patient. This new code replaces all previously approved product-specific vaccine administration codes.
Read more about these changes in the COVID-19 CPT vaccine and immunization codes section on the AMA website.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) prevention
The new guideline includes five new CPT codes to report product-specific RSV immunizations. This helps for better tracking, reporting, and analysis that supports data-driven planning and allocation.
These codes are:
- 90380: Respiratory syncytial virus, monoclonal antibody, seasonal dose; 0.5 mL dosage, for intramuscular use
- 90381: Respiratory syncytial virus, monoclonal antibody, seasonal dose; 1 mL dosage, for intramuscular use
- 90683: Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, mRNA lipid nanoparticles, for intramuscular use
- 90678: Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, preF, subunit, bivalent, for intramuscular use
- 90679: Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, preF, recombinant, subunit, adjuvanted, for intramuscular use
Read more about these RSV prevention changes here: Category I Immunization Long Code Descriptors.
Evaluation and Management (E/M) services
The CPT Editorial Panel added revisions to the CPT 2024 code set that clarifies the reporting of evaluation and management (E/M) services.
These revisions include:
- Removal of time ranges from office or other outpatient visit codes (99202-99205, 99212-99215) and the alignment of the format with other E/M codes
- A definition to determine the “substantive portion” of a split/shared E/M visit in which a physician and a non-physician practitioner work jointly to furnish all the work related to the visit
- Instructions for reporting hospital inpatient or observation care services and admission and discharge services for using codes 99234-99236 when the patient stay crosses two calendar dates
Spanish language descriptors
The AMA included Spanish descriptors for more than 11,000 medical procedures and services. These descriptors are an essential resource that hospitals, medical practices, health plans, and other CPT users can incorporate into English-language documents, such as insurance forms, price sheets, medical records, patient portals, and more.
With this addition, the AMA aims to help bridge language barriers and make health care more inclusive and transparent for Spanish-speaking patients.
“Providing approximately 41 million Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States with an easy-to-understand description of medical procedures and services can help build a more inclusive health care environment, where language is no longer a barrier, and patients can actively engage in their own care”, explained Lori Prestesater, AMA Senior Vice President of Health Solutions.
Read the full updated CPT 2024 code set. Learn more about these updates and how to optimize your coding procedures in your medical practice for the New Year. Feel free to reach us at [email protected]. Our team will set up a meeting to discuss how Health Prime can maximize your revenue by cutting costs, saving time, and collecting more!
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